Ankle decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed right ankle disorder, including tendonitis, tenosynovitis, sprain, and osteoarthritis.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis and remanded the cases of left and right ankle pain due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, which includes posterior tibial tendonitis and subtalar fusion with ankylosis, is rated at 30 percent for the entire review period.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of left plantar fasciitis, right plantar fasciitis, left ankle tendinitis, right ankle tendinitis, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and PTSD), and left hip strain are all remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining adequate VA examinations and medical opinions.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at a 20 percent rating for marked limitation of motion, the maximum schedular rating available.

The Board has dismissed the claim for a compensable disability rating for post-operative scars of the right ankle as there is no case or controversy regarding this issue.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, epididymitis, a left ankle disability, a lower back disability, a left hip disability, and tinnitus as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine and denied service connection for bilateral foot disability including plantar fasciitis, as well as left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right ankle disabilities, as well as left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's application for Legacy S-DVI insurance was denied because it was not received within two years of the most recent grant of service connection, which occurred in October 2018. The Veteran did not meet the eligibility criteria as per 38 U.S.C. § 1922(a).

The Board has remanded the claims for residuals of a right ankle fracture, low back condition, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis due to the need for additional development regarding service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for hemorrhoids and a left ankle disability as secondary to pes planus, both conditions being deemed the result of military service. The decision is based on medical evidence supporting these findings.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the claims for athlete's foot, back disability, neck disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ankle grade 2 chondral thinning with low grade sprain of CFL was granted, and an effective date of August 17, 2020, but no earlier, was established. The initial evaluation for the disability remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, bladder disorder (bladder incontinence), thoracolumbar spine disorder, and left ankle disorder were denied as there is no current evidence of a diagnosed disability or functional impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, cervicothoracic spine pain, left knee pain, right knee pain, right ankle pain, right shoulder impingement syndrome, TMJ disorder, and unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder. The evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for left ankle, back, right arm, and left arm disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's GERD is granted an increased rating to 30 percent, but no higher. Service connection for right ankle tendonitis with lateral collateral ligament sprain and bilateral plantar fasciitis are both denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.